Ahmed Ben Driss Yacoubi (Moroccan, 1929-1985)

When the American composer and writer Paul Bowles met Yacoubi in 1947 in Fez, he encouraged the artist to paint and draw all of his tales' illustrations. In 1952, Bowles invited Yacoubi to his island Taprobane located off the southern coast of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where Yacoubi, admired for his culinary skills, prepared memorable meals for their guest Peggy Guggenheim, who in turn purchased several paintings by the artist. It is during his time in Ceylon that Yacoubi discovered the Temple of Dodundua, which he depicted in the present work. A few years later, Yacoubi met the British painter Francis Bacon with whom he remained friends until Yacoubi's passing in 1985. With his deep and mesmerising canvases on which he applies layers of oil paint, Yacoubi's success led to a number of exhibitions held in his honour in Morocco, London, New York, Paris and Rome.